1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for a maintenance unit to implement maintenance or for a worker to implement a manual task on a print head for ejecting a liquid and recording an image.
2. Background Technology
A well-known image recording device, as with an inkjet printer, forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting a liquid from nozzles on a print head while orienting the print head to face a support member on which the recording medium is being supported. Generally, in such an image recording device, a maintenance unit can be used to implement maintenance, such as for removing a clogging of the nozzles, on the print head. In addition to maintenance by a maintenance unit, a worker will also often be able to implement a manual task on the print head.
More specifically, in the image recording device of Patent Document 1, an inkjet head faces a guide plate and records an image by ejecting an ink onto a recording paper on the guide plate; in turn, the maintenance unit carries out maintenance and a worker carries out a manual task by pulling the inkjet head out to a position apart from position facing the guide plate. That is to say, at a position where the inkjet head is separated from the position facing the guide plate, a state in which maintenance can be implemented is adopted when a maintenance unit is attached to the facing position of the inkjet head, and a state allowing for a manual task is adopted when an open space is ensured in the facing position of the inkjet head without attachment of the maintenance unit.
In the image recording device of Patent Document 2, image recording involves a head unit facing a drum and ejecting an ink onto a recording medium that is on the drum. Implementing maintenance, in turn, involves separating the head unit from the drum in the radial direction while still maintaining the state where the head unit and drum face each other, and inserting a maintenance unit between the head unit and the drum and therein causing the maintenance unit to face the head unit. For a worker to carry out a manual task involves pulling the head unit out to a position apart from the position of facing the drum, and ensuring open space for a facing position of the head unit.
Thus, in the image recording devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the configurations allow for the adoption of an image recording state in which a print head (inkjet head, head unit) faces a support member (guide plate, drum) on which a recording medium is being supported and records an image, a maintenance state in which the print head faces a maintenance unit and undergoes maintenance, and a manual task state in which an open space is ensured at a facing position of the print head to allow for a manual task to be done.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-142365 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-131435 (Patent Document 2) are examples of the related art.